Coming off an electrifying Friday night win against Oklahoma, Texas faced the San Diego State Aztecs in a drizzling midday rain on Sunday. The Aztecs got a late goal in the first half and managed to hold off the Texas attack in the second to secure a 1-0 victory. Alexa Gaul posted six saves to keep the game close, but in the end Texas could not find an equalizer.
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Alexa Gaul finished the day with six saves for the Longhorns (photo courtesy of UT)
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With a recovering Amanda Lisberger still on the sideline, Texas freshman Whitney Jaynes started at left back Sunday for the Longhorns. Lucy Keith and Nina Frausing Pedersen completed the back line at center back with Julie Arnold at right back. The always formidable Alexa Gaul started in goal. Brooke Gibert, Kristin Cummins, and Lexi Harris started at midfield. Up front it was Hannah Higgins, Vanessa Ibewuike, and Taylor Knaack for the Longhorns.
After the kickoff, with the Longhorns moving left to right, most of the action in the first ten minutes took place directly in front of the home grandstands. The Horns seemed to determined to play the ball on the right. At 06:00, Julie Arnold got the ball up to Lexi Harris who put a deke move on an Aztec defender and took a shot but had it blocked by a second defender.
At 07:10, Vanessa Ibewuike crossed a beautiful ball into the goalmouth which almost found a streaking Hannah Higgins flying in from the left. Hannah’s outstretched leg was short of the ball by just two feet.
After 10 minutes of play, the Longhorns tried the other side of the field. Whitney Jaynes moved up and placed a beautiful through ball up to the forward corps. Hannah Higgins caught up to the ball and fired a shot right into the Aztec goal. Behind her, though, the linesman had signaled offside. No goal.
At 12:30, Vanessa Ibewuike was taken down at about forty yards out from goal. Nina Frausing Pedersen came up to take the kick and placed a beautiful serve into the box. Lucy Keith, who was at the back post, went up for the header, but the ball cleared her by about a foot.
At 15:00, Megan Jurado of the Aztecs, playing on the left wing, passed a beautiful ball from deep in the left corner directly across the Texas goal area. Alexa Gaul came out for the ball, blocking it away while meeting another Aztec attacker head-on. With Gaul down and out of goal, the ball rolled out to San Diego State’s Cat Walker who had an open net and a clear shot on goal. Walker, who hails from Folsom, California and is a 6th year senior with the Aztecs, must have Texas bloodlines somewhere in her heritage because she gave the Longhorns a tremendous gift by promptly firing a sure goal over the crossbar. An enormous sigh of relief came from the Texas faithful in the grandstands.
At 18:05, Taylor Knaack had a corner kick in the Aztec end. Seeing Hannah Higgins unmarked, Knaack served in a low ball to a wide open Higgins standing at about twelve yards out. Hannah’s foot somehow missed the ball as it skipped under her attempted shot and rolled through only to be cleared.
At 19:25, with the ball bouncing around in Texas’ own box and with Texas unable to clear, the Aztec’s crafty Megan Jurado hit a strong rolling shot right on goal. Alexa Gaul made a great save for the Horns and wrapped up the ball.
At 21:10, Taylor Knaack made a great run and tried to hit Vanessa Ibewuike at center box, but just missed. The ball rolled by.
At 27:14, Gabby Zarnegar came on for Vanessa Ibewuike and Clarissa Wedemeyer came on for Lexi Harris.
At 29:10, the Horns got a free kick from about forty yards out. Nina Frausing Pedersen took the kick and it flew on goal, bouncing once before being caught by Aztec keeper Rachel Boaz.
At 30:46, Allison Smith checked in for Taylor Knaack.
At 36:03, Leah Payne came on for Whitney Jaynes. At this point Texas Coach Chris Petrucelli made a back line change that in the end proved fateful for the Horns. Petrucelli moved Nina Frausing Pedersen out of the center back position over to the left back position occupied by Whitney Jaynes, who came off the field. Petrucelli placed Leah Payne at the center back position previously occupied by Nina Frausing Pedersen. This was only the second time this year that Pedersen had been moved out of the center back position while staying on the field.
At 37:40, Allison Smith knocked a ball way upfield into the Aztec end which the speedy Hannah Higgins almost caught up to. Rachel Boaz came way out of the Aztec goal to boot the ball away from outside the box just a second before Hannah got to it.
At 41:22, Kylie Doniak came on for Hannah Higgins.
In the 44th minute, with the Aztecs on the attack, Cat Walker, who was deep in the Texas end, passed the ball left and forward to Aztec sophomore Sophie Metz. Metz took the ball straight up the left middle into the Texas box and directly into the area that Pedersen had previously guarded. With Payne collapsing backward and Metz now wide open inside the box, Metz fired an untouched shot which flew directly into the upper left corner of the Texas goal. The goal was scored at 1:35 left in the half to put San Diego State up 1-0.
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** Did not get the second half of the report done, but the “By The Numbers” is complete below **
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By The Numbers:
Running Forever (mids and forwards): Kristin Cummins (90 minutes on the field), Hannah Higgins (86 minutes), Taylor Knaack (76 minutes), Brooke Gilbert (75 Minutes)
Ironwomen (defenders): Lucy Keith (90 minutes), Nina Frausing Pedersen (90 minutes), Julie Arnold (90 minutes)
In goal: Alexa Gaul, 6 saves (90 minutes in goal)
Other starter minutes:
Lexi Harris, 72 minutes
Vanessa Ibewuike, 72 minutes
Whitney Jaynes, 70 minutes
Sub player minutes:
Clarissa Wedemeyer, 33 minutes
Allison Smith, 25 minutes
Gabby Zarnegar, 18 minutes
Leah Payne, 9 minutes
Kylie Doniak, 4 minutes
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Texas shots: 2 in first half, 9 in second half (Total: 11 shots)
Only 1 of the 11 Texas shots was on goal, with none going in.
Shots on goal percentage: 9%
San Diego State shots: 7 in first half, 6 in second half (Total: 13 shots)
7 of the 13 San Diego State shots were on goal, with one going in
Shots on goal percentage: 54%
• Corner kicks: Texas 5, San Diego State 4
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Number of sub players with 10 minutes or more:
Texas 3, San Diego State 4
Subs numbers
Shots by subs: Texas 0, San Diego State 3
Goals by subs: Texas 0, San Diego State 0
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Fouls: Texas 5, San Diego State 7
Yellow Cards: none
Attendance: 426
San Diego State vs Texas stats (PDF) ..still waiting on this from Texas
RPI Tracker: Texas’ RPI number after the San Diego State loss is 80.
Generally speaking, Texas will need an RPI significantly higher than 64 to make the sixty-four team NCAA Tournament which starts November 12th. However, Texas can also get into the NCAA Tournament if they win the Big 12 Tournament which begins on November 2nd.
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Texas Longhorns Women's Soccer 